Basic Sponge Cake
by Tarla Dalal
Added to 354 cookbooks
This recipe has been viewed 323525 times
Oh, can’t imagine life without a basic sponge! Indeed, whether you want to make a simple cake, or an elaborate one for a special occasion, its success depends entirely on the Basic Sponge Cake.
Here is a basic sponge recipe, which uses eggs. Its softness, and the rich flavour of vanilla are very enjoyable, and you will find this sponge suitable for plenty of marvelous creations. You can try these out - Tiramisu , Cassata , Cardamom Orange Cake , Fresh Fruit Gateau , Gateau Citronella .
Method- Sieve the plain flour and baking powder in a deep bowl and keep aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl, mix well using a spatula till smooth. Keep aside.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and mix gently with help of a spatula.
- Finally, add the plain flour mixture, vanilla essence and milk and fold gently using a spatula.
- Grease and dust a175 mm. (7") diameter cake tin and transfer the batter into it.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200ºc (400ºf) for 30 minutes.
- Keep aside to cool slightly. Demould and use as required.
Basic Sponge Cake recipe with step by step photos
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Make sure you sift the flour well. This step is very important as it makes the cake light and airy.
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Beating of the butter with an electric beater and then adding the sugar is important to make the cake fluffy.
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After adding the eggs make sure you add a tbsp of flour, as said in the recipe, as this prevents curdling of the batter.
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While adding the remaining flour to the batter, use the cut and fold method to retain the airation.
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After pouring the batter in the greased and dusted tin, put it to bake immediately in a pre-heated oven.
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Allow the sponge to cool completely and then serve then in wedges.
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To make the batter for rich Basic sponge cake, place a sieve on the bowl. Measure out all the other ingredients and have them ready to use.
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Place the plain flour on the sieve.
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Add baking powder. It is a leavening agent used to give the Basic sponge cake rise.
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Sift the maida and baking powder together in the deep bowl and keep aside. This will remove any lumps and impurities from the flour before it incorporates into the batter.
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In another deep bowl, add butter at room temperature. It is important for all the ingredients to be at room temperature ingredients so they emulsify better.
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Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric beater for 1 minute. If you do not have an electric beater then make use of a wire whisk but it would be a tedious task.
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Add sugar and cream it with an electric beater for 2 to 3 minutes till it is light and fluffy.
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Add one egg. Eggs help in making the sponge cake airy and light.
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Also, add 1 tbsp of the sifted flour mixture.
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Beat with an electric beater till the egg is just mixed. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
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Repeat steps 8 and 9 2 more times.
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Beat with an electric beater till the egg is just mixed. It's important not to beat the batter too much, mix just long enough to make it smooth.
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Add the remaining flour.
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Add vanilla essence and pour milk. Look for high-quality vanilla to make good quality Basic sponge cake. You may need 1 more tbsp of milk.
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Fold everything gently using a spatula until well mixed and until no streaks of liquid are seen. Over-folding causes severe deflation of eggs so, just fold enough to combine. You will knock out all the air and land up with a dense sponge cake.
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Beat with an electric beater for 30 seconds to mix uniformly. If you feel like the beater is going to be too damaging to the cake mixture, please by all means fold it in by hand. Our batter for Basic sponge cake with eggs is ready!
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To bake sponge cake with eggs, grease a 175 mm. (7") diameter cake tin with butter or oil.
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Line it with parchment paper or aluminium foil. Alternatively, you can brush butter on the inside of the cake tin, then dust it with flour, knocking out the excess to make the surface non-stick.
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Pour the Basic sponge cake batter into it and smoothen the top.
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Bake Basic sponge cake in a preheated oven at 180ºC (360ºF) for 50 minutes. Settings for each oven is different but don't be tempted to open the oven before 40 minutes or else it will fall flat. Start checking the cake about 5-7 minutes before the suggested bake time.Remove from the oven and keep aside to cool slightly. The cake is cooked when it looks well risen and golden on top.
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Another test to check if the vanilla sponge cake has cooked well or no is to insert a skewer into the centre of the cake - it should come out clean. You can also bake the vanilla sponge cake in a microwave or pressure cooker, to learn how, check out this Microwave Vanilla Sponge Cake or Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake ( Pressure Cooker).
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Gently run a knife around the edge and turn the Basic sponge cake out of the mould and use as required.
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For best results leave the cake on the kitchen counter for 6-8 hours before using in a cake or applying the frosting. This will reduce the amount of crumbling when you go ahead to split the cake layer in two horizontally.
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Chocolate Brownie in An Oven, Rich Chocolate Sponge Cake Using Eggs, Coconut Cake, Mango Sponge Cake are some other basic cake recipes that you might like.
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Q. My Sponge cake came out dry? If your cake turns out dry, it means you have overbaked it. Make sure you bake it for the required time and check the cake with a skewer.
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Q. How much is 3/4th cup butter in grams? 3/4th cup butter is approximately 180 grams.
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Q. My cake had cracks on top, is this normal? Yes, the sponge cake will have cracks on top. You can cut the hard part slightly with a serrated knife.
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Accompaniments
Nutrient values (Abbrv) per slice
| Energy | 424 cal |
| Protein | 7.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49.4 g |
| Fiber | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 21.7 g |
| Cholesterol | 55.3 mg |
| Sodium | 287.6 mg |
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6 FAVOURABLE REVIEWS
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